Mystery Mast Welds - Explanation Please!

[mikemak]

I'm considering purchasing a boat but the mast has me puzzled. There is seam all the way around it approximately 18" above the boom, as well as, varioius spot welds - all very sanitary. No apparent signs of a previous dismasting. I've never seen anything like this before in my limited experience.

Pictures attached.
Any explanations/comments?

Thans.

[imagine2frolic]

Is it possible it is reinforced there with ann inner sleeve?.........i2f

[Capnblu]

Your mast was extended, or repaired, with an inner sleeve and another section below. Probably suffered corrosion to the base of the original mast. I prefer tapped SS machine screws, coated with lanocote, but some prefer to weld. the supposed drawback to the weld is supposed to be that it changes the temper of the aluminum, and may crack. The drawback to the screwed method, is everybody asking what the heck all the screws are for. So keep an eye on the weld for a crack. Don't loose any sleep till you find one. BTW the bare weld would be subject to a different rate of corrosion, because it isn't anodized like the rest of the mast. this section of your mast should be much stronger, due to the added thickness of the inner sleeve.

[Omatako]

Mast in earlier days were often made longer or repaired in this way. It is an inner sleeve with plug welds and the seam welded.

Nothing to worry about here - I have seen masts on powerful racing boats repaired this way and the splice lasts forever.

[kd3pc]

very nice work, all in all...would not worry me in the least...

[GaryHLucas]

That doesn't look like a repair to me. It looks like the mast was made that way, because it looks like it was anodized after welding. It is normal for welds to be a slightly different color after anodizing. No way you'd get that nice a job from a repair.

Gary H. Lucas